Why Dora Tonks became an Auror
by Tawny Owl
Summary: Uncle Sirius usually brought sweets and laughter, this time he has a favour to ask her parents, and gives his cousin Dora something to think about when she’s older.
1. Age 7

**Authors Note: Not sure if I've managed to put this in the right catergory or not. It didn't really seem to fit anywhere, but if anyone thinks it should be somewhere else let me know. Thanks**

**Disclaimer - As you can probably tell characters etc aren't mine they're JKRs**

"Dora, go to your room."

Her dad had been becoming more serious lately, she was young, but knew it had something to do with the way adults stopped talking whenever she came into a room unexpectedly. It had something to with the way her friend Jenny and her family had suddenly vanished and how people whispered that it was the fault of the wizard who didn't have a name. Now apparently it had something to do with Uncle Sirius.

"But…."

"Now, Dora," her mothers voice cracked slightly as the figure came along the garden path, he had people with him, they moved slowly hands in pockets and it all looked very official.

Nymphodara pouted and stamped her feet then did as she was told because whatever was happening in the world beyond the safety of the front garden it made mum use the voice she reserved for talking about her sisters. Something was very wrong, Dora thought, Uncle Sirius didn't visit often but when he did he usually bought sweets, and laughter and sometimes friends that would carry her around on their backs. With this in mind she crawled back down the landing and half way down the stairs where she could hear the voices from the kitchen.

"That's why we have to fight back," she could hear Uncle Sirius saying, he was loud and using the voice that meant this was really important, "the longer we leave it the harder it's going to become to stand up to him."

Dora leaned forward pushing her forehead against the banisters until it hurt and she knew she was going to have a bruise. Him could only be one person, it was the wizard with no name who turned up on the radio and the front of the paper every time bad things happened, and Uncle Sirius and his friends were fighting him.

"I told you no," Her mum said, "we can't endanger our daughter like that, we've seen what he can do, there's a family just down the road that have disappeared for Merlin's sake."

"They would have been killed if the Order hadn't got to them first," Uncle Sirius was angry, "honestly Andy, this is our chance to prove we aren't as Black as the rest of them."

"We aren't fighters." That was her dad, "and we aren't young like you boys," he sounded weary, "we would like to help.."

"Then help us," she recognised this voice, it was the boy with the glasses, the one who had the pretty girl with him sometimes, "I know how you feel, but that's why I'm fighting so my family will have a safer world to grow up in."

Dora was edging down the stairs now, she could see them huddled around the kitchen, Sirius pacing, James looking uncomfortable and her mum and dad together, holding hands against them. Her mum shook her head, "It's not that easy, it never has been, you know what Bella threatened when we married. I don't want her attention drawn back to us, or to Nymphadora, she deserves a better childhood than us."

They stood looking at each other across the kitchen table, both with that immovable expression that made them look more similar then they really were. Her father and James just looked uncomfortable as the minutes dragged, finally it was Sirius that moved first, part of Dora expected him to hex something but instead he just threw up his hands and scowled. "Fine," he said, "come on, Prongs," which made her let out a breath she had forgotten about.

James smiled apologetically and Dora scooted down the stairs to catch her uncle before he left, but he was already out of the door and striding down the path.

"Dora…" she heard he mother shout, but she had run out on to the gravel and was calling his name. It was only when James stopped him that he turned round, "all right, Squirt?" He said is almost angrily but it didn't stop him lowering himself on the path, "no time to stop today."

She could see he hadn't, there were others waiting for him at the end of the garden, the tall one who never said very much and the short round boy that reminded her of a rodent for some reason.

She was breathless from her run, and was very aware of her mother in the doorway looking angry, she was used to her mum being angry with her, could practically feel the frown on her back, but she knew she had to say it now or miss her chance, "I want to help," she said quickly, "I'll fight, he killed my friend, Jenny."

Sirius looked at her for a moment with one of those complicated expressions adults use when they aren't sure what they are feeling, then he grinned, much more like the Sirius she was used to, and mussed her hair, "no way, Squirt."

"I can do it," she said, "I want to help."

"I'm sure you can but…well, you can't because you see, you're the reason we're fighting, you need to grow up safe and strong so that what we're doing is worthwhile."

Dora frowned at that, "then why won't mum and dad help?"

Sirius had that expression again, he looked up over her shoulder to the house where her mum was probably glowering, "they are helping," he said after awhile, "they're going to help you grow up to be the best that you can. Will you do that for us?"

"Sure," she said, "but I'd rather fight."

He planted a kiss on her forehead, it was wet and sloppy, much like his kisses usually were, only this time she didn't shriek in disgust and try to run away, "that's because you're my cousin," he said proudly.

"Padfoot, we need to go," James was hovering in the background, running his hands through his hair, making it stand up on end so he looked like a scarecrow.

"Stay safe, Squirt," Sirius ruffled her hair again as he stood up, "and look after your mum and dad for me."

"Dora, come back now," her mum called but she followed them to the road, stopping at the edge where the grass met the wall. She flung her arms over the scratchy bricks and watched them hurry away down the street going off to make the world a better place for her. It seemed unfair that no one had been there to make it better for them in the first place.


	2. Age 8

The wizard with no name had been killed. The news was plastered all over the banners that people had hung up in the street, and Dora had been halfway through reading about it in the paper when her mum had taken it away. Considering the party atmosphere that had swept the neighbourhood her mum really should have been happier, but instead she was cleaning the kitchen cupboards with a vengeance and looking really upset. Dora didn't think it was her fault. She hadn't broken anything for ages and was about to confront her mum when her dad had come to the rescue and taken her out to see the fireworks.

"Is it my fault?" she asked after they'd reached the park where the rest of the wizarding community had gathered.

"Of course not, Poppet," her dad squeezed her hand, "why would you think that?"

"I don't know," she said truthfully. She hadn't even been bouncing on the sofas, and had tidied her room the first time she was asked.

"Was it because I was reading the paper?"

"No, Dora."

"Is it something in the paper?"

"Look at that, Dora," her dad pointed up to the sky where the rocket left a streak of coloured stars. She watched them because they were pretty, but she knew when her dad was being evasive.

"It's Uncle Sirius isn't it?"

She knew she was right the minute her dad pretended to become interested in his shoes when she caught him looking at her.

"Is he in trouble?"

Around them the crowd let out a sigh of wonder as the rocket exploded.

"Mum thinks he could be," her dad said carefully, "would you like some candy floss?"

Yes, Dora thought, she would, but she knew when she was being distracted. She was eight years old now after all.

"What did he do? Was it something bad?"

Her dad shuffled his feet, "do you know how You Know Who died, Dora?"

He was using the serious voice he reserved for when something bad had happened.

"Harry Potter," she said confidently. Although she hadn't had a chance to read the bit in the article that explained how a small boy could kill one of the most evil wizards in history. She had thought it was a joke at first except that it wasn't really very funny.

"Do you know who Harry Potter is?"

"No."

"Well, he was the son of the man with the glasses that visited us with Sirius sometimes."

"The one with the pretty girlfriend?"

"Yes. They'd gone into hiding because they thought that You Know Who wanted to kill them. It appears that Sirius may have told You Know Who where they were."

"So it's his fault they're dead?"

"That's how things look at the moment."

"He wouldn't do that." Dora didn't even have to think about it. Uncle Sirius had been mean sometimes, but she was sure he wouldn't betray his friends like that.

"Well your mum thinks that as well. So she isn't angry with you. I suppose she is just angry at everything else."

"Will Uncle Sirius be alright?"

"We don't know Dora. Your mum thinks he might not, he'll have to go away for a while."

"I'm sure he'll be ok. He's very clever."

Her dad nodded slowly as the crowd let out another collective "oooh." Dora looked up to see that the stars had taken on the shape of a phoenix that was now slowly dissolving.

"Can I have that candy floss now?" She asked.

The next day Uncle Sirius was in the paper again and Dora managed to read the whole thing by hiding in the downstairs toilet. Apparently he had killed another one of his friends, the boy who looked like a rat, in a crowded street. The explosion had killed some passing Muggles as well and the Ministry was very angry. So angry they had arrested Uncle Sirius and were going to send him to prison without a trial.

They must have made a mistake because killing people really didn't sound like something Uncle Sirius would do.

Apparently he'd laughed as they took him away.

That did. He was always laughing at things that Dora didn't think were funny. When she fell over for example, but even he wouldn't laugh at people dying. Something was really wrong about the whole thing. Dora spent the rest of the day in her bedroom because although she was allowed to play in the street again she found that she really didn't want to.


	3. Age 15

It had been staring her in the face for ages and Dora was still at a loss to realise why it had taken her so long to work it out. She had sat quietly in the common room reading the leaflet while her life slid together perfectly around her, and had then gone straight to the Library to see if she could find anything else that might help with her revelation. Madam Pince had nearly had a heart attack when Dora said what she was looking for and now Professor Sprout didn't seem to be taking it much better.

"An Auror?"

The plump witch asked again while Dora did her best not to look offended. It wasn't as obvious as Charlie Weasley and dragons, but surely Nymphadora Tonks and Auror wasn't that unthinkable.

Professor Sprout sat back in her chair apparently convinced that this wasn't a joke, "you do realise there will be a lot of hard work involved?"

"Yes professor", Dora hadn't meant to sound quite so curt, but it wasn't a decision she'd come to lightly. All right, it was a decision she had made it in less than two hours but she hadn't had a moment of doubt since. Not even once.

"Well then".

Dora watched as Professor Sprout shifted her papers until she found the relevant leaflet. It was right at the bottom of the pile and clearly not expected to get an airing in this careers advice session.

"Your grades will need some improvement. You'll have to get at least five NEWTS at Exceeds Expectations or higher".

Dora nodded, she liked a challenge, she already had plans to do so well in Potions that Professor Snape would hand her essay back without giving her so much as a sneer. She'd nail Transfiguration theory as well, and become the brainy girl instead of the girl who coasted through because she could turn her nose into a pig snout. She'd even miss Hogsmeade weekends if she had to because in some unimaginable way this had suddenly become very important.

Dora brought herself back from imagining her future plans to find that Professor Sprout was still there and looking at her with a fond smile. "Are you sure about this?" the teacher asked kindly, "Magical Law Enforcement offers a similar career choice and the entry requirement are much more attainable".

"Do you think I can't do it professor?"

That was a worry. Amazement and confusion she could cope with, but an outright 'don't be ridiculous Nympahdora' from anyone but her mother would be horrible.

Not that she cared what other people thought, she'd come to the conclusion that young witches who chose to have pink hair generally didn't, but it was still nice to be agreed with sometimes.

"Not at all Tonks", Professor Sprout said quickly, "when you want something badly enough you have always managed to achieve it. I don't think there are many members of the faculty who would dare to use your first name any more".

Dora allowed herself a small smile of triumph while Professor Sprout shifted more paper and settled herself on her chair so she could peer over at her. Behind her shoulder something in a pot stretched up long green suckers and attached itself to the window.

"You are a very bright girl", her teacher continued, "I just think that sometimes you don't apply yourself. But if you do pick your grades up…..Well you should do well on your OWLS, and two years is plenty of time for further improvement. Just make sure it is what you want. The Auror programme is hard to get into, and I understand it's even harder once you are there."

"I do understand Professor Sprout. I have thought about this".

The plump witch nodded, but managed to look uncomfortable at the same time. "You do realise", she said eventually, "that there are also extensive background checks".

Dora had been waiting for this, and she knew it had nothing to do with the amount of times she'd ended up in detention over the last five years. It didn't matter though; it wasn't going to be a problem unless she allowed it to be.

Professor Sprout batted away one of the suckers as it climbed over her shoulder, "they will probably ask you lots of questions about morphing, it's not a very well known subject as you know, and they will want to make sure it wont affect you while you're working. Although I am sure it will also be an asset. Then of course there are your relatives".

There it was. Dora was tempted to ask what sort of trouble Old Grammer Tonks had gotten into now, but the fact that Professor Sprout looked genuinely embarrassed made her hold her tongue.

"I don't think for a minute that they would find anything incriminating, but if you are seriously thinking about this then it is something you may have to be prepared to answer questions about".

It was Dora's turn to shift uncomfortably. As a general rule she didn't talk about it, and no one really asked because few people bothered to make the connection. To be honest she wasn't actually sure what she'd say. Not that she cared about her mum's psychotic sister, but that wasn't the only skeleton lurking in her closet. There was a whole flock of Death Eaters nesting in her family tree, and one of them in particular still gave her sleepless nights sometimes.

"Very well", Professor Sprout put her papers away, "work hard for your OWLS and we'll take things from there".

"Thank you", Dora let herself quickly out of the office and came face to face with Thomas Treswell who was looking distinctly sweaty and clutching a hand full of leaflets to his chest. She gave him an encouraging smile because he really did look ill, and began to walk back to her lessons. She did dawdle a bit though because two years was a long time and it would be foolish of her to peak too soon. Although she did want to be an Auror. It was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but the idea of her as an Auror seemed to satisfy something inside her. She wanted to be able to help people, but it was more selfish than that. She wanted to protect the people she loved. And now it had been mentioned there was also a sneaking suspicion that it had a lot to do with someone else as well. A young man who had come to her house when she was a child and had just been so brave, and undeniably cool, because he'd been fighting so she could grow up to be the best that she could be. Dora stopped playing with the gobstone in her pocket and leant against the wall so she could give this some considerable thought. Yes, nothing could be better than being an Auror, and maybe if she were successful she'd be returning the favour some how.


	4. Age 18

She'd been standing in the Ministry Atrium for twenty minutes and had completely failed in her attempt to look calm, confident and professional.

"Nymphadora Tonks?"

Dora realised he'd been there a while watching her gawp at the Fountain of Magical Brethren. Sleek, she supposed was the best way to describe him. Every inch of him was polished and oozing with the confidence she suddenly felt incredibly lacking in.

"Just Tonks," she said quickly.

That made him pause.

"Miss Tonks?"

"No, just Tonks," she tried to sound in control, but found herself adding: "Nymphadora isn't really me," by way of apology.

"Very well Tonks. I'm Auror Shacklebolt. And I guess that's what you can call me for the moment."

Dora followed him into the lift and they began to move slowly upwards. She fidgeted with the cuff of her new robes, which were black and tidy and made her feel distinctly un Doraish. She was glad she had kept the pink hair despite her mum's lamentations on the subject.

Auror Shacklebolt coughed quietly into his hand and Dora decided to go for broke because she would only get one chance at this.

"Are you seeing many candidates today?"

"Not today. Quite a few last week though."

"How many today then?" Dora persisted because she was seized by a compulsion to know what her competition was like. She'd been thrilled when she got her letter but was now absolutely petrified because if she didn't get through this she had no idea what she was going to do with the rest of her life.

"Not many," Auror Shacklebolt gave her a smile that managed to be friendly and detached at exactly the same time, "they were all very nervous though."

The lift stopped with a pleasant pinging noise and he stepped back from the door, "after you."

He directed her along an unimpressive corridor until they stopped outside an equally unimpressive door. The room on the other side wasn't any better. It was small and dingy with two of the grumpiest looking men she had ever seen sitting behind a nearly empty table. They looked up as she came in clearly relieved that they didn't have to make small talk with each other anymore.

"Auror Moody," Shacklebolt gestured to the man who seemed to have left half of his face at home. He grunted at her while his magical eye swivelled. Dora did her best not to trip on the carpet and failed. This, she thought, is the man who bought in Rosier, Karkaroff, and my Aunt Bella. She managed to meet his eyes without staring or asking for an autograph.

"Auror Scrimgeour," Shacklebolt introduced the other man who seemed much happier to see her.

"Miss Tonks," he leant over the table to shake her hand, "please take a seat."

"Just Tonks," Dora said noticing that he reminded her of an aging lion. Did the Head of the Auror Department come to every first stage interview? Or was she just lucky?

Feeling suddenly very intimidated Dora sat down slightly more heavily than she would have liked and prepared to defend herself.

"Thank you for coming today Tonks," Scrimgeour looked up to make sure he had addressed her properly.

"Thank you for asking me."

"What's wrong with Nymphadora then?" Moody growled from the corner. His magical eye turned towards her, it was only fractionally more disconcerting then the piercing blue of his real one.

"I don't think it suits me," she said steadily.

"Why not? Good family name like that."

"Not in the Tonks family," she said before letting comprehension dawn slowly on her face, "oh you mean _that_ family. Perhaps they're why I don't think Nymphadora suits me."

He huffed and let the subject drop.

"Now that's sorted out," Scrimgeour said, and Dora noticed that he gave Moody a look that was less than pleased, "tell us exactly why you want to be an auror."

They asked her lots of questions about her family, and her morphing, her time at school and any work experience that she'd had. That first one was still the trickiest to answer though. She had rehearsed the answer carefully and it told them almost everything that they needed to know because she didn't want to lie about something that important. She watched Moody carefully when she mentioned her uncle, an unspecified one who visited occasionally, and the way he'd talked about the war. When she'd finished she was left with the horrible impression that he knew exactly who she was referring too.

It was a feeling that was confirmed when Moody took her back down to the Atrium and waited while she checked her wand out at the desk. He shook her hand gruffily in much the same way he did everything else and thanked her for coming.

Dora was very polite and tried to hide her desire to run as far away as she could before eating a large bar of chocolate.

"That uncle of yours," Moody said just as she was trying to decide whether it would be milk or plain, "I knew him in the first war, well thought I did. You've both got the same passion for what you're doing. Useful for an auror to have that."

Dora didn't say anything, hoped to hell this wasn't part of the interview otherwise she may just be about to fail very badly.

"Trick is," said Moody thoughtfully, "not to let it cloud your judgement."

He shook her hand again, "you'll hear from us in a few weeks."

"Thank you," Dora said quietly and as soon as she had her hand back got out of the Atrium as fast as she could.


	5. Age 20

"Tonks!"

It had taken Dora a while to train Kingsley to use her surname; now she wished she hadn't. He had a distinct way of barking it and making her jump just as soon as she thought she'd made it unnoticed past his cubicle.

"Wotcher, Kingsley."

"Have you seen the papers this morning?"

"No, breakfast seemed more important."

She'd expected a smile at least. After all everyone knew his partiality for a bacon sandwich. Instead Dora found herself beckoned into his cubicle, which looked as though a firework had hit it. Despite that she noticed he knew exactly where his copy of the Daily Prophet was and he handed it to her with a grim expression that she didn't really care for.

Dora looked at the photograph on the front page. If it weren't for the blaring headline she wouldn't have recognised him.

"How did he escape?" She wasn't really prepared to be confronted with her past this early in the morning. She hadn't even had coffee.

"We don't know yet."

"Why did he escape? Why now?"

Kingsley leant back against the cubicle wall folding his arms calmly. "Listen, I'm going to tell you exactly what we know at the moment, but after that I don't want you asking questions. Do you understand? I know you aren't even out of training yet, but the papers are snooping around and I don't want you ruining your chances because that Skeeter woman decides to make you a headline".

"Has she been trying?"

"No, I don't think she has got that far yet, but we don't want to help her out."

"No."

"Sit down."

Dora sat rather heavily still holding the paper because she was trying to find a trace of her Uncle in the slightly deranged face that was glaring back at her.

"He escaped last night," Kingsley said in his steady voice, "like I said we don't know how, but we think he might be heading north. To Hogwarts…"

He held up a hand to her questions.

"..There is evidence to suggest he might be going to try and kill Harry Potter."

"That doesn't make sense."

"We think he could be trying to finish what he started."

"That was ages ago. Why would he suddenly decide to do it now?"

"Why indeed? I'll be honest about this, there is rather too much that we don't understand. I don't want you speaking to anyone outside this office. Including your mum and dad for the moment because I will have to interview them. Just for the record."

"You're in charge of this?"

"Yes."

Dora nodded thoughtfully, "then you'd best watch out. If mum gets out her best china, the ones with the pink roses on, she is going to pull her Daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black on you. She may get a bit snooty."

"Thanks for the warning."

"But go easy on her, she was really upset when…", Dora bit her lip, "she spent the whole day cleaning the kitchen. I think she was angry at him more than anything."

"Alright then." She noticed that Kingsley had sat down at some stage and was looking a lot less tense, "I know this hasn't come up before now," he said kindly", but Azkaban does things to people. He's probably not the same person that your family knew."

Dora put the paper down roughly, "yes well, he proved that when he betrayed the Potters didn't he?"

"You know they are posting Dementors at Hogwarts? If we catch him they have authorisation to perform the Kiss."

Dora met Kingsley's gaze. It was rather too intense for her liking and she looked away and shrugged, "I'm just glad that it's not my decision to make," she said calmly.

Kingsley shuffled his papers, "that's all then."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"How's Moody treating you?"

The conversation had returned to normal.

"Gives me hell."

"How it should be."

Dora grinned automatically and didn't start breathing properly until she had escaped back to the cubicle she was sharing with Moody. He wasn't there and she leant back in her chair trying to work out exactly how she felt. She still hadn't figured it out twenty minutes later when Moody stormed in balancing two cups of coffee and wearing a determined expression.

"Need to work on your stealth and tracking." Dora jumped as he plonked the coffee down on her desk. "You look ill."

"I'm fine."

"Family problems?"

"No."

"All right then, get your coat and try and bring at least one right foot this time."

Dora obeyed as well as she could and didn't think about her mother's cousin for the rest of the day. She successfully managed not to think about him for most of that year, but still couldn't quite figure out how she felt when she heard he'd managed to escape yet again.


	6. Age 22

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I was trying to reply to you all and then I had to go back to work. Special thanks to kk11819 who suggested I should add more chapters originally. This is the last one though because I thought I'd end on a happy note (ish), although it does run on a bit.**

**Please let me know what you think**

It did seem just too bizarre to be sitting in the same room as Sirius Black. Dora hadn't heard a single word of the meeting beyond introductions because she had been watching the way he was tilting his chair back at a dangerous angle, and inspecting his finger nails as though being a wanted criminal on the run was just normal.

Which, Dora supposed, for him it was.

All this time she had been carrying around a picture of what he looked like in her head, although she did have to modify it slightly when the wanted posters came out. Even so he still looked thinner, harder, more worn around the edges.

Dora wished she'd brought one of those stupid posters with her and then she could have got him to sign it; that is provided of course Azkaban didn't leave you completely devoid of a sense of humour.

She knew she should talk to him, but she was still trying to think of something to say that wouldn't make her sound like she was seven years old when a plump little witch sat in the chair next to her.

"Hi, Nymphadora right?"

"Just Tonks."

"Don't be silly, Nymphadora's such a pretty name, and it's so nice to have another girl round here."

Dora felt her teeth grate and was about to excuse herself when the witch let out a laugh like breaking glass, "it's such a boys club at the moment," her eyes flicked to Sirius who was still talking to a wizard in faded looking robes. "You're his baby cousin aren't you?"

"Well hardly baby…."

"Sirius is a hoot though," she said almost without taking a breath, "and still quite handsome really. You know I wonder if…Sirius!"

And there he was, sitting opposite to her, suddenly seeming much more solid than he had a moment before.

"Hestia," that smile was familiar, it was the one that used to make her mum give him anything he wanted. Well almost. "New robes?"

Dora noticed how the other woman seemed to visibly melt now that she was the focus of those grey eyes. Unfortunately they didn't shut her up.

"Well, yes actually, you see I thought…."

"Amazing. I just need to borrow Tonks here, family business you understand," and with that he moved back down the table beckoning her to follow. Dora felt herself hesitate, but only for a moment and then got up praying desperately that she wouldn't trip.

"Rule one," Sirius hissed as she arrived safely at his end of the table, "never allow yourself to be drawn into a conversation with Hestia Jones unless you have a very good reason to get out again." His voice sounded huskier than she remembered, and he looked smaller, or maybe that was just because she was bigger. Dora was still trying to work it out while her brain screamed at her to say something intelligible. "She seems very taken with you," she said rather too quickly.

"Well she's only human," Sirius gave her that grin again and poked the wizard next to him in the arm.

"Nymphadora Tonks," he said proudly, "my cousin."

"Yes," the wizard looked up from the parchment he'd been shuffling and smiled vaguely, "I was at the meeting too you know?"

"Rule two," Sirius rolled his eyes in Dora's direction, "Remus Lupin is a sarcastic sod and should be avoided at all costs."

"Pleased to meet you," said Remus Lupin offering a hand, "I must apologise for Sirius, he isn't house trained."

Sirius gasped in mock horror, and seemed about to defend himself when Remus continued swiftly: "although he has been looking forward to meeting you."

She found herself laughing at the way the strange double act seemed to work, and rather taken with the way it made Sirius seem much more human, much more like she could talk to him without worrying about putting her foot in it.

"Oh I think we can forgive him then," she said still smiling.

"Maybe," Remus looked thoughtful for a moment, "but I should draw your attention to rule three. Sirius Black is prone to exaggeration. Especially regarding his own heroics so take anything he says with a pinch of salt."

"That's enough," Sirius snapped in a voice that sounded uncannily like her mother's, "she is _my_ cousin. Go and find your own."

Remus smiled and went back to his parchment. Dora looked back at Sirius and found him staring at her rather too intensely and she suddenly found herself sympathising with Hestia's desire to hold the focus of those eyes.

"You look different," he accused now that he had her full attention.

"Of course I do," Dora retorted, "I'm a Metamorphmagus, aren't I?"

He let out a laugh and the front legs of his chair thumped back on to the floor.

"I meant grown up, although I should have expected that. Have a drink."

He pulled a bottle out from under his chair with a flourish.

"Sirius…"

"Oh pull the wand out of your arse Moony and have one as well."

Dora let out a snort of laughter because the tone of voice was so blunt, and so damn familiar.

"I've had a better offer," Remus said apparently giving up with the parchment and gathering it into a bundle.

"Merlin, not Emmeline?"

"Alastor. Death Eater activity in Somerset."

Sirius pulled a face, "she wants you Moony."

Remus replied with a hand gesture, one that Dora thought was really unexpected for a man who looked like he'd escaped from the local library, and beat a tactful retreat leaving her with Sirius. Alone. Pouring her Firewhiskey.

"Should you be encouraging me to drink?" She challenged before the silence became too deafening.

"Probably not, but then I'm not renowned for behaving myself am I?"

"Neither am I," she folded her arms.

"Well then," he pushed the glass towards her with his finger and Dora found herself wondering where the last fifteen years had gone because they seemed to have fallen back into a pattern. It wasn't the same one they'd had when she was younger, it couldn't be because she was an adult now and could swear, and stay up late, and didn't have to wait behind in the front garden. It was still familiar though, almost comforting, like the smell of her mum baking on a Sunday morning.

"Now then," Sirius leant towards her with a conspiratorial whisper, "we all know what I've been doing the last couple of years. So lets talk about you. Cheers."

It burnt her throat and made her remember exactly why she hated the stuff, but Sirius was already filling up her glass again and she found herself seized by the sudden compulsion to show off shamelessly. She knocked that one back as well, and after that rather lost the thread of the conversation, or any sense of time. She did remember the kitchen emptying quickly around them, although perhaps not as quickly as the bottle. Kingsley made a point of stopping by to tell her that if she owled in sick tomorrow he would know the reason. They both laughed at him and then Sirius went off to find more Firewhiskey.

"I swear Kreacher is hiding them," he said after he had finally located one in the pantry.

"Mum does that with dad's brandy," Dora said because she had no idea who Kreacher was but thought she should really say something. She should really go home to bed, but it seemed like too much effort to move.

"How is your mum?" He got the lid of the bottle and started pouring, letting some of the liquid slosh over the sides of the glass.

"The same: cleaning obsessively, asking me why I'm not married."

"Why aren't you?"

"Oh don't you bloody start," she found herself feeling smug that she could say 'bloody' and not get told off, "I have a career, you know?"

"Oh yes," he tried to look suitably contrite, "the famous auror."

"I thought Remus was the sarcastic one. Anyway it's your fault."

"Me?" He looked up puzzled by her jabbing figure.

Dora fidgeted with her glass suddenly feeling more self-conscious then when she'd barged in late and nearly upset Molly Weasley and the tea tray. "All that growing up to be the best that you can be rubbish", she waved a hand airily, "it made quite an impression on a seven year old. I decided I'd try and be like heroic Uncle Sirius and fight the bad guys." She snorted, hoping to keep things light.

"Even when I turned out to be the bad guy?" He asked rather too sensibly for a man who had drunk so much.

"It was too late. The damage was done." Dora emptied her glass and pushed it back towards him. After all what could Kingsley accuse her of? Getting drunk with a criminal that he was supposed to be catching?

"Well," Sirius sat up straighter in his chair, "I'm glad I had such a positive influence. I must remember to tell Molly."

Dora grinned imagining what her mother would say when she'd found out she'd seen Sirius and that he had got her drunk, on a work night. With hindsight it was probably a good job that she couldn't tell her.

"Thank you."

Dora wasn't sure where the words came from, or what she was saying thank you for. Possibly for being such a positive influence, or fighting in the first place, or being here in this dismal kitchen giving her Firewhiskey.

"Hey," he leant over the table unsteadily to ruffle her hair, "my pleasure squirt."


End file.
